Another Toddler! (?)

Today, I fell in love again! Little boy, "A," and his mom and dad came to meet us today and it went well! We may have another boy in the house before long. Another 2 year old. Another world of enrichment to add to our family! Little boy A is talkative, active, polite, and fun! Now, we just need to know his start date so he can be a part of our family everyday! How exciting!!

Lucky

This job of mine is often described as a "thankless job." I am here, for the kids all day, every day. I rarely get a day off. I can't just "call in sick" if something happens. I make crafts with the kids, do activities, teach songs, have fun, and otherwise keep the kiddos busy, entertained, and learning the whole time that they are here. I take my job very seriously - and, except for the occassional facebook break (so that I can, you know, connect with the outside world from time to time?) I really am working the whole day long. When the kiddos are engaged in something that doesn't require my undivided attention, I'm sanitizing, planning, cooking, cleaning, or preparing for the next activity. Anybody who does child care full time can tell you how exhausting a day can be.

But, I'm not working for myself. I'm working for the kids and for their parents. And let me just take this opportunity to tell you how stinking lucky I am that I have two wonderful families to work for. Noah's family and Paityn's family are all so appreciative and thankful for what I do. They constantly praise me and shower me with compliments about the quality of care that I provide. Never a day goes by that I'm not thanked. Both families go out of their way to show me love and appreciation, and that makes me incredibly lucky!

Just this morning, for instance, Paityn came in with a bag full of cups/lids for me to use. Mom said that they just had extras and wanted to share them with me! Noah came in with a bag full of food. For me! For dinner tonight! Enchiladas and salad. For my family to enjoy at dinnertime.

What's more is that today is nothing special. Just another Thursday here at the child care home. These kinds of generous offerings happen very regularly around here - like I mentioned already, not a day goes by without a thank-you of some kind.

If you are part of Noah's family or Paityn's family - THANKS! :) Thanks for just loving me and supporting me and always appreciating my work.

If you aren't part of one of these kiddos' families - go thank your child's caregiver today. Just a short e-mail is meaningful and appreciated enough. (I speak from experience!) Or practical gifts go a long way, too. :) Let's just go ahead and make today hug-your-provider day. Awww... I'm so lucky. Thanks again, bosses!

Science in the PreK classroom

On Saturday, I attended a four hour training at Science City about how to bring science into the classroom. I kinda knew that what I was going into would be a bit over our heads since the kiddos we care for are 2 and under, but I also knew that the education, the peer interaction, and the getting-out-of-the-house-ness would be a good thing. Plus, I went in expecting to learn a few things that I could use with my 4 1/2 year old, Julia.

While the class was not overly educational for me, I did take away a new box full of ideas and reminders that I can use with our gang. I have had a few science related projects up my sleeve, and this class is just what I needed to get the ball rolling and not be so hesitant about any of it. The instructors were great - they were both very well educated and wonderful presenters, and they did a good job of reminding me that I don't need a biochemistry degree to teach young'uns how to mix colors, or grow flowers, or just to ask poignant questions.

I'm glad I went to the workshop, and the fact that it was held at Science City in Union Station was a major bonus. The leaders of the workshop gave out lots of information about other science-y things that we could do right there at Union Station. I think a field trip is in order this summer!

So, hopefully Saturday's workshop will inspire me to further encourage the kiddos to explore, investigate, ask questions, make predictions, and learn from all the teachable moments that we have in our playroom, in our backyard, during our meals, and on our walks. It's exciting and fun to have a fresh way to approach the often-one-sided conversations that happen around here!

Paityn's 2nd Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Paityn! We started this morning's rhythm & rhyme time out with the song Happy Birthday! Today, we are going to decorate a crown for Paityn to call her very own. During lunch, we are going to wear some party hats, and after we eat, we'll sing again and have the cookie treats that Paityn brought to Maggie's house to share! I hope Paityn's birthday is equally as special as she is. When she first started coming here, she was just more than 1 year old and had that cute tipsy toddle as she tried to master walking. Now, she's got all the gross motor skills under her belt and is talking and singing, dancing and climbing everyday! They get big quickly, but each new age & stage is more exciting than the last. I'm so excited to get to share Paityn's birthday with her today!!

Check her out in this 5 minute video. She's quite the camera hog! :)

For your entertainment

One of the big benefits to doing childcare out of the home is the tax breaks. We spent our tax refund on the backyard this year. Enjoy this video to see some progress we are making! My guess is, the backyard will be our outdoor classroom a LOT this summer!

Spot(s) Open!

I'm advertising to fill a preschool spot for this summer. I will gladly take on two kiddos if they are siblings. Please send friends and family my way if they live in the area - we want more friends to play with this summer! :-) Thanks!